Government issues long overdue formal apology for historical forced adoption

𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐮𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐟 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

Between 1949 and 1976 an estimated 185,000 babies were taken from their mothers as women were pressured into putting their children up for adoption because they were unmarried. It is a stain on our history and something that never should have happened.

In March this year, the Education Select Committee, on which I sit, recommended the government apologise as a matter of urgency and I’m proud that our inquiry has been instrumental in making that happen.

I also welcome that this apology was made following engagement with victims as the committee recommended and it is good that the government have committed to working with the families affected as they implement support measures – mothers and adoptees must be at the heart of getting this support right.

In the enquiry, we heard from mothers and adoptees how this horrific practice caused long-term trauma, suffering and pain. It was truly heartbreaking. Today’s apology goes some way towards recognising what they have been through.

It is heartening to hear that the government will not stop at an apology. The Prime Minister committed to fund the development of a national online resource as a single access point to locate records as well as other measures to improve access to adoption records as the committee recommended. He also promised to establish national virtual peer-led support groups for mothers and adopted adults to improve access to ongoing, trauma-informed support across the country; as well as expanding access to funded intermediary services for historical adoption cases.

I sincerely hope this is the start of real change for the victims of historic forced adoptions and that the government stay true to their word and carry out the commitments made today. I will certainly be following their work and holding them to account. Victims have been failed for far too long; they cannot be failed again.